University president searches may stay public

A plan to make secret the searches for new university presidents may be stalling in the Florida Legislature.

The proposal would waive the Florida Constitutions requirement for open government, which makes the names of university presidential candidates public information.

It even would make it a first-degree misdemeanor for anyone to disclose the names, punishable by a year in jail.

Supporters sold the plan as a lynchpin of the broader proposed reorganization of Floridas university system thats outlined in two bills moving smoothly through the Legislature this month. Those bills (HB 1533 and SB 2108) would abolish the Florida Board of Regents and give each public university its own board of trustees. Presidents would get much more authority.

Education reformers say the new system needs to shield presidential searches from the Sunshine Law to assure that good candidates will apply.

They say anyone with a good job at another university would be reluctant to jeopardize his or her stature by publicly seeking a new job.

The provisions for secret presidential searches are in a separate bill (HB 1535) that has stalled in a house committee, and it has no counterpart in the Senate, where it faces formidable opposition: Sen. Ken Pruitt, R-Port St. Lucie, who chairs the Education Committee.

"They ought to be open," Pruitt said of presidential searches. "And that way we all know where everybody is coming from."

The House bill went to the House Colleges and Universities Committee two weeks ago and has yet to have a hearing.

"I think well have to wait and see what direction the reorganization bill takes, then well see if we need (the presidential search) bill or not," said the bills sponsor, Rep. Evelyn Lynn, R-Ormond Beach.

Scott Powers can be reached at spowers@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5441.